Overview

In the year 610, according to the Christian calendar, one of the more momentous events
in Western Civilization's history took place. In an isolated cave outside of Mecca, a city
of the Arabian peninsula that few Europeans had reason to know existed, a caravan trader by
the name of Muhammad began receiving visits from an entity he knew as the archangel Gabriel.
This visitor had a new revelation from God, he said, and Muhammad was to be the new prophet.
Moreover, he was to be God’s final prophet.

Since that moment, the message given to Muhammad and spread by his converts has spread to
encompass not simply the Middle East, but large parts of Africa, parts of the Indian
subcontinent, most of the Indonesian archipelago, central Asia, and is currently spreading
through immigration and conversion in Europe and the Americas.

The purpose of the course is to examine this expression of the monotheistic tradition,
to understand Islam as best we can on its own terms, to acquaint ourselves with what it
means (and does not mean) to be a Muslim. We will examine the historical progression of
Islam’s ascendancy, its later decline, and subsequent efforts to recover its original
initiative. Alongside the historical component, the course will also provide as much cultural
exposure as is feasible in southside Virginia. Thus, we will read the Qur’an quite
regularly, watch films approved by religious authorities (plus some that skate on thin ice),
and seek to understand popular conceptions of Islam by ordinary Muslims. In addition, we
will visit a mosque in the region.

Grading and Assignments

Readings: There is an abundance of reading ahead, but
a steady pace will keep your head afloat. Please take this counsel to heart, and do not skip
assignments. Doing so will eventually catch up with you in unpleasant ways. In addition, do
not put the reading off until the last moment; much of the material will be complex and
wholly foreign, and you will need time to digest it properly. Allow
sufficient time to absorb what you’re reading. Some of the readings will overlap a bit;
trust me: the repetition will only help you. And when this does occur, you then have the
opportunity to explore the nuances of interpretation and to appreciate the multiple voices
of Islam.

Qur’an journal: Over the next fifteen weeks, we
will immerse ourselves in the Qur’an. There are readings for each class period; sometimes
they will dovetail with the day’s material, and other times, they will apply to much larger
issues. Every Friday (except where noted) by 5pm, you will need to submit (via Blackboard) a journal entry about these readings. In this
brief response, you can trace your own reactions to the material you’ve read,
relate the verses to historical contexts or modern events, or something else clever. Your
primary objectives herein are to demonstrate 1) that you’re reading what is assigned,
and 2) you’re thinking about this very material in a substantial manner. (15% of course
grade)

Mosque: At some point in the semester, but probably
best left for the later parts of the calendar, you will visit a mosque. The delay is
to your benefit so you will understand more of what occurs and your role in the service. Your
final journal will detail and analyze your experience. (5%)

Exams: How else shall we “make manifest that which is
locked up in human breasts?” (S.100:10) This course has three major exams, listed below on the
schedule. These exams will have a variety of components: essay, short answer, and objective
questions. (17, 20, and 21% of course grade)

Discussion Assignments: Using Canvas™, we will have
an open discussion forum available throughout the semester. This will be your chance to ask
questions of both one another and of the professor. In addition, we will
have two directed discussion assignments in the latter half of the course. For each
of these, you will be expected to make two contributions as well. (6% each of
course grade)

Inter-Cultural Contact: We have the good fortune at Longwood to welcome citizens from the Middle East. To further your contact with a different cultural tradition (and aid Longwood's ESL program), each of you will pair up (by my assignment), and then as a pair you will be Conversation Partners with one of our visiting Arab-speakers. This will involve two sessions, each possible on numerous Fridays between 1-4pm. In the first, you will have the active role as questioners, posing a menu of queries over one hour. In the second session, also foreseen as one hour, the visiting students will get to put questions to you. You will write a report afterward which (duh) will cover some of what you've learned factually, but as importantly, you will also analyze your own process of encountering (and hopefully) overcoming cultural challenges and possible linguistic barriers. (5% of course grade)

Participation: The instructor will assess your overall
participation in the course as well. This category can include things like attendance,
academic courtesy, diligence in completing assignments, and perhaps still other intangibles.
The bottom line? Even if you must fake it, act like you care about the course. (And, please, if you are
“faking it”, don’t let the instructor catch on; that backfires with unpleasant consequences!) (5% of course grade)

Lecture and Reading Schedule

(STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR FALL 2015 !!)

We have five required texts, plus a number of on-line readings, for this course. Be sure you have:

The Meaning of the Holy Qur’an. (‘Abdullah Yusuf ‘Ali, ed. and trans.)

Reza Aslam, No god but God

Tamin Ansary, Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World through Islamic Eyes